Method and apparatus for illumination



June 5, 1923.

W. W. AYRES I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ILLUMINATION Filed Dec. 8

l/VI/E/VTUR V555 M AX/ffs ATT h/VEY Patented June. 5, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WEBB W. AYRES, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOH O11 THREE-EIGHTHS TO RICHARD \VALTEB/ WHITE AND TWO-EIGHTHS TO AMBROSE .A. MERRY, BOTH OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ILLUMINATION.

Application filed December 8, 1919. Serial No. 343,359.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, VVEBB IV. Arms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for Illumination, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for illumination to secure uniform illumination of objects for photographic purposes.

This and other objects of the invention will be fully illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 illustrates an elevation of a camera used. for copying papers and the background on which such papers are supported with the lights therefor.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the background and the lights for illuminating it.

I Figure 3 is a vertical cross section of one of the reflectors showing the roughened reflecting surface.

In the drawings, like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates the background or support upon which. papers may be placed for the purpose of photographing them. At each corner of this board. and fastened to the under side thereof are supports 2, 2. Mounted to slide in each of these supports is a bracket 3, 3. The horizontal part of these brackets point radially to the center of the board and can be adjusted in or out in the support. At the outer end of each bracket is an upright tube 4. 4: having a goose-neck at the upper end with a socket 5 and shade or reflector 6. Inside the reflector is carried the incandescent lamp 7. The reflector is preferably made of tin and is coated on the inside with aluminum paint.

Heretofore the object to be photographed has been illuminated by the so-called Cooper Hewitt mercury vapor lamp but these have been found to be unsatisfactory under certain atmospheric conditions and do not give proper contrast to the various color effects in the object photographed.

It has been found by trial that the foregoing arrangement of lamps and reflectors gives an even distribution of light and furnishes a light that will give better color effects to the ob ect photographed. The coating of the reflector with aluminum paint gives a reflecting surface that is free from glare and is somewhat roughened, and will therefore give an even distribution of light much like diffused light, so as to secure uniform photographic printing effect upon the object.

The lights are shown in position toilluminate the central portion of the background for photographic purposes. Larger areas of the background will be illuminated by drawing out the lamps radially so as to increase the area of background which can be viewed from the lens of the camera without obstruction. It will be understood that more than four lamps may be used and that whatever number may be used, each lamp will be pointed to the common center and will be placed high enough above the background to secure good illumination and far enough back to leave the desired field unobstru cted.

As shown in Figure 1, both the camera and the background are placed in a horizontal position and a prism is used over the lens of the camera. The background may he placed in vertical position, in which case the prism may be dispensed with.

The incandescent lights used in the reflector are preferably nitrogen filled lights. These lights with the aluminum coated reflector seem to give the best results.

I claim:

1. In an illuminating system for a copying camera. the combination of a copy board, a series of light grouped around said copy board and mounted concentrically thereto. reflectors for said lights. said reflectors reflecting the light rays from said lights across said board at an angle to the line of projection of the lens of the camera, said lights and their reflectors being located ad j acent to the board and between the board and the lens of the camera.

2. In an illuminating system for a copying camera, the combination of a copy board, a series of lights grouped around said board at predetermined distances from the center of the board, said lights carried by said board and movable therewith with relation to the camera reflectors for said lights, said reflectors reflecting the light rays t'roin said lights across the board and toward one another said lights and their reflectors being located adjacent to the board and between the board. and the lens of the camera.

In an illuminating system for a copying camera, the combination of: a copy board, a series of lights grouped over said board and concentric to the center thereof so that the rays from said lights will strike the center of the board equally at an angle of from 30 to l5 dec 'ees a reflector for each l ir'ht throwing; the light rays over the board, the lights and reflectors being spaced around an open center and between the lens of the camera and the copy board.

In an illuminating system for a copying camera, the combination of a copy board, a series of lights placed far enough above the board to give it good illumination and far enough back from the center of the board to leave the field unobstructed to the lens of a camera. above the lights, a reflector for each light throwing the light rays over the board. the lights and reflectors being placed around an open center, said reflectors having a rough reflecting surface.

5. In an illuminating system for a copy ing camera, the combination of a rectangular copy board, a. light and reflector therefor mounted at each corner 01 the board and between the board and the lens of the camera, said reflectors reflecting the light rays from said lights down on to and across said board and across the object to be copied.

6. in an illuminating system for a copyinncarriers, the combination oi. a rectangular copy board, a light and reflector therefor mounted at each corner 01'' the board and between the board and the lens of the :zuuera. said reflectors reflecting the light 'ays trirn'i said lis its down onto and across s id board and across the object to be copied, St. d reflectors each l12l\'il]f a rough finished reflecting surface adapted to difiuse the ligl'it 7. in an illiuninating s stem for a copy- 11151 camera. the combina of a rectangulVEBB lV. AYRES. 

